The invention relates to a filter trap for a motor vehicle thermal device.
In a motor vehicle, the air is able to be pumped into the inside of the passenger compartment by a thermal device which is able to heat or cool the pumped air, as required. Said thermal device is located in the passenger compartment below the dashboard, against a sheet-metal part generally called the firewall which separates the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. The thermal device is provided, in particular, with a filter which has to be accessible from the passenger compartment so as to permit the replacement thereof. To this end, the casing of the thermal device comprises a trap, the opening thereof permitting access to this filter. Current traps are inserted by one of their ends into the casing, parallel to the surface of the casing, and fixed to the casing by clipping at the other end thereof in order to permit rapid opening of the trap without the use of tools. Generally two clips are used, located opposite one another at one of the ends of the trap. These clips are designed so as to block any movement of the trap perpendicular to the surface thereof: as a result they have a large space requirement in this perpendicular direction. Now, in some cases the trap of a thermal device is arranged on the driver's side, in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal. When the space available around the pedal is not large it may prove difficult to use such clips to fix the trap, these clips more specifically risking the obstruction of the foot of the driver actuating the pedal. Moreover, the use of screws, which require less space, is not desirable as this requires the use of a tool in an environment which is particularly restricted and difficult to access. Moreover, the addition of a screw is more costly than a clip.
Thus there is a need for a filter trap for a thermal device which may be fixed in a simple and rapid manner, and which has a small space requirement.